Conference in Bratislava to focus on educational opportunities for Roma children

Press release 117/2008
7 April, 2008

The Council of Europe is organising a conference on education and training for Roma children and youth in Bratislava on 8–9 April. The Finnish delegation will be headed by MP Pekka Haavisto, chair of the Advisory Board on Romani Affairs.

Experiences of ensuring equal education and training opportunities for Roma children and youth in Europe will be exchanged at the conference. The conference is timed to take place on International Roma Day, celebrated on 8 April since the start of the 1990s.

Finland stresses, in particular, the role of local authorities’ activities, the importance of education, and the importance of increased awareness among the majority population and the authorities in improving the situation of the Roma.

As the OSCE Chairmanship country, Finland emphasises cooperation between the Council of Europe and the OSCE. Finland also strives to promote cooperation between the European Roma and Travellers Forum, the ERTF, operating under the Council of Europe, and the OSCE.

In 2003 the OSCE approved an action plan to improve the situation of Roma in the OSCE area. Implementation of the action plan is a central goal of Finland’s OSCE Chairmanship.

Additional information: Ambassador Aleksi Härkönen, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 1605 5496, Second Secretary Ann-Mari Fröberg, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 1605 5493